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United States Patent | 5,161,039 |
Schellenberg | * November 3, 1992 |
A birefringent structure useful as a waveplate, grating, a hologram, a beam separator, a digital data storage medium or the like is formed by photo-exposure causing photo-reaction between photons and polymeric structures. In a specific embodiment, birefringence is induced by applying optical energy to a polymer film such as a polysilane with sufficient intensity to excite nonlinear absorption in the polymer film such that a pattern of the exposing optical energy is recorded in the polymer film. The optical energy is of a distinct polarization state such that the nonlinear optical ef BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention was made under contract with or supported by the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Contract No. AFOSR-88-0354. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Inventors: | Schellenberg; Franklin M. (Cupertino, CA) |
Assignee: | Board of Trustees, Leland Stanford Jr. University (Stanford, CA) |
[*] Notice: | The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to April 14, 2009 has been disclaimed. |
Appl. No.: | 739941 |
Filed: | August 2, 1991 |
Current U.S. Class: | 359/3; 252/585; 359/326; 359/500; 359/566 |
Intern'l Class: | G02B 005/18; G02B 001/08; G02B 005/30 |
Field of Search: | 359/3,326,332,494,500,566 252/585 |
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